


The Mysterious Warrior

by LasbelinaronEva



Series: Sealed Fates [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Backstory, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-26
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:07:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29008038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LasbelinaronEva/pseuds/LasbelinaronEva
Summary: Hey, y'all! This is the first of a series of fics describing how my dwarf original characters fit into my canon Inquisition timeline. Lots of background, lots of dialogue, but I hope it intrigues you nonetheless and you enjoy it. As usual, I need to remind you that while I do love words, my grammar is definitely imperfect and there are probably errors of which I am unaware.
Series: Sealed Fates [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2128044





	The Mysterious Warrior

“Does anyone else see the figure trudging through the snow up there or is it just me?” Ellana asked, atop her horse followed by her scouting party consisting of Varric, Solas, and Cassandra. 

Her followers squinted, following her gaze to discover a hunched figure a few hundred meters in front of them. Back turned, the stranger slowly limped up the hill the party had been exploring. 

“Maker’s breath, look at the sword on that one,” Varric noted, pointing out the weapon adorning the pilgrim’s back. 

“What is that person doing all the way out here? Surely they know there is no civilization for miles,” Cassandra mused. 

“Whoever they are, they are surely injured,” Solas added quietly. 

Just the subtle mention of harm was enough to propel Ellana forward on her horse, rushing to the stranger’s side (much to her party’s shock). When she neared the stranger, she dismounted and reached for their shoulder. 

“Are you okay?” Ellana asked.

The stranger weakly turned and a quiet gasp escaped Ellana’s mouth as she was met with a bloody and gnarly sight. The stranger’s face was covered in scratches, and hot maroon liquid littered the snow in their wake. Bright hazel eyes wordlessly called out in pain as they closed in a loss of consciousness. The stranger began to fall, and Ellana tried to catch the impact. The stranger’s armor and weapon proved to be too heavy, however, and soon both toppled over into the icy ground. 

Mainly due to the strength of Cassandra, the party brought the mysterious warrior back to Haven, where Solas was once again tasked with keeping watch. For a week, the warrior woke, yelled inconsolably, was placed under a sleeping spell until the cycle would repeat. With Ellana’s approval, Solas put the stranger under a much stronger spell, and that kept the Haven nights peaceful for a week more. At last, the stranger’s eyes fluttered open. Ellana was patching up an old cloak when she noticed the stranger stir. 

“Welcome back to the land of the living, stranger,” Ellana said gently, smiling.

The stranger grunted and tried to sit up, but a stabbing pain in their side sent them back into the bedding with a thud. 

“Take it easy, you are probably very weak. You have been recovering for almost a fortnight with only magic keeping you sustained,” Ellana retrieved a bowl at her side and held it to the stranger. “Would you like to eat?” 

The stranger had no response but the stare of fear written plainly on their face. 

“Here,” Ellana said quickly, leaning up to take hold of the stranger’s back, in an attempt to help sit the stranger up.

“Don’t touch me!” The stranger cried, recoiling at Ellana’s touch. 

Ellana frowned deeply but retracted in respect for the stranger. “You’re safe now,” she began, “you are with the Inquisition.” 

“Inquisition? I thought that ended ages ago…”

“Well, yes, but it’s been reformed because of the Breach.”

“The Breach?” The stranger gestured to a nearby window. “Is that what you’re calling that weird green hole in the sky?”

“Yes, exactly! My name is Ellana, by the way. Ellana Lavellan.” She held out her hand to the stranger. 

Again, the patient on the bed fell into silence. Straining heavily, the stranger managed to sit up, propping themselves on their elbows.

“I need to speak to another of my kind,” they said finally. 

Ellana winced slightly at the prejudice but knew how some dwarves were. There were very few of them amongst the ranks, but she knew exactly who to fetch.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
“Varric, I need your help.” 

The dwarf turned at the sound of her voice and smiled. “When you need my help, you know something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.”

“Oh you,” she playfully pushed his shoulder. “Our mysterious guest is finally awake. And she’s asking for ‘another of her kind’.” 

Varric inhaled sharply. “Uh oh. You’re asking me, the undwarfiest dwarf, to talk to someone who seems to be one of the dwarfiest dwarves?”

“How do you know they’re one of the dwarfiest dwarves?” 

“You can spot them from a mile away. Smell them, too.” 

Ellana shrugged, then grabbed Varric’s shoulder. 

Once inside, the stranger’s eyes lit up. “Thank the stone there’s another one of us here.” 

Varric gave Ellana a quick look that asked, ‘who’s gonna tell her?’ Ellana elbowed him, pushing him forward slightly. 

“Varric Tethras. Author, businessman, and dwarf. As you can see,” he introduced. 

“My name is Seneca. Why are you here with the Inquisition and not in Orzammar? Are you on leave from your duties?”

Varric shot another glance to Ellana and whispered, “isthay asway ayay adbay ideayay!”

“In what tongue do you speak?” Seneca asked, watching the two carefully. 

Now it was Ellana’s turn to frantically glance at Varric. 

“I was born in Kirkwall,” Varric explained finally. 

Understanding hit Seneca’s face and a twinge of anger could be seen across her brow. “You brought me a casteless dwarf? Oh, I am lost!” She cried, falling back onto the bed and throwing her hands in her face. 

“I’m sorry, are you dwarven nobility or something?” Ellana asked. Although she meant the question genuinely, Seneca took it as mockery. 

“No,” Seneca began, examining her hands that were lightly marked with the blood from her face. 

“Then who are you?”

No answer. The dwarf stared at her hands.

Ellana composed herself, inhaling and exhaling slowly. There was no way to know what the dwarf went through-- it was unfair to treat her with hostility. “I just want to help you,” she offered.

After a long pause, Seneca responded, “you should have left me to die.” 

Ellana’s frustration turned to sadness. She crossed her arms defeatedly. 

“Hey, kid. This person saved your life, knowing nothing about you, and you spit in her face?” Varric scoffed. 

Ellana hung her head. “It’s okay, Varric,” she said softly. 

It was clear to Ellana that they wouldn’t get any answers out of her anytime soon. It would be best to just leave the dwarf alone until she came around on her own, if at all. She left the bowl of food at Seneca’s bedside and told her that if there was anything she needed, she would be around the camp. Varric in tow, she left the small house and closed the door behind her.

“That went well,” Varric mused as the two walked towards a nearby fire. 

“You weren’t much help!”

“Listen, Ell. I can fake anything but a tie to Orzammar.”

Ellana shook her head, massaging her eyebrows in frustration. It was a truly reckless thing, bringing Seneca there. For all Ellana knew, the dwarven woman could be a wanted criminal who would bring waves of bounty hunters to Haven’s doorstep. Ellana watched the flames lick the air and ran through possible scenarios in her head. 

“I trust our visitor is well,” interrupted a voice. 

Ellana turned to see Solas watching her thoughtfully. 

“Uh..about that…”

“Do I need to put her under the sleeping spell again?”

Ellana shook her head. “I think she can recover the rest of the way on her own. Thank you, though.”

Solas smiled and nodded. “What happened when she woke?” 

“Well...first she demanded to see another dwarf. I brought Varric and it was clear she wanted another dwarf like her if you understand me.” 

“Ah, she is one from Orzammar,” Solas answered quickly. 

“It sure seems that way. She said something a little bit disturbing.” Solas cocked his head in curiosity. “She said we should have left her to die.” 

Solas paused, examining Ellana’s downturned face. “I think what you did was admirable.” 

Ellana’s face flushed as she felt a twinge of pride at the compliment from the apostate. She wished to argue, to protest that she was no hero and was only doing what she would want a stranger to do for her, but she kept her mouth shut. Besides, her decision still had time to bite the lot of them in the ass. 

The group turned to watch a commotion emerging from the building Seneca had been resting. A familiar limp was accompanied by a scowl that could extinguish every lit fire in the vicinity.

“Where is my sword!” Seneca demanded, pointing a stern finger in Ellana’s face. 

Ellana instinctively backed away to regain her personal space. “Calm down, calm down. And how on earth did you manage to get up?” 

“I am of a strong breed,” she said.

“I can see that. Okay, I have your sword. I kept it away because it clearly is valuable to you and I didn’t want anything to happen to it. I’ll go get it.” 

Falsely sensing a trick, Seneca tensed even further. “No! First, you take me away from my duty, introduce me to a stone-blind, and then you steal my sword?”

A small crowd began to gather around the four. Varric had his arms crossed, Solas had his hands behind his back, and Ellana had her jaw on the floor. The absolute nerve of this woman!

“I did not steal your sword! You know what? Fine, come with me-- let’s go get your sword.” 

Ellana began to walk to her own personal quarters with Seneca and a dozen pairs of eyes following her. Once inside, Ellana pointed angrily to the sword. Seneca approached it and inspected it closely.  
Satisfied, she picked it up. 

“And my armor?”

Ellana opened a nearby chest and allowed Seneca to peer inside. Without skipping a beat, she began to retrieve the armor and put it on. 

“Woah Woah Woah. You’re not strong enough to put that on just yet. Where are you going?” 

“Because you are SO nosy, I will tell you.” Seneca stopped putting on her greaves and faced the elf. “I am going back to the wilderness, where I belong, where I will wander until at last I perish.”

Ellana scanned Seneca up and down, incredulous at the insight she had just been given. “Why?”

Seneca sighed. After a moment’s consideration, she explained, “I have brought dishonor to my family, my caste, and my people. I have been rejected by the stone so I cannot bare living.” 

“I don’t understand…” 

“It is not for you to understand,” Seneca warned harshly. 

Ellana reached out and gripped Seneca’s forearm tightly. “Help me understand.”

Seneca’s hazel eyes drooped as she looked down at the hand so dearly holding to her own. She offered a sad smile. “I have never met an elf in person before,” she said. “If they are all like you, then they are a good people.” 

Ellana almost laughed but steadied herself. 

“I am sorry for my anger. I cannot be grateful for my rescue, because it was not deserved.” Seneca pulled her hand out of Ellana’s reach. 

Ellana crossed her arms. “Why? What did you do that was so bad?” 

Seneca busied herself inspecting the hilt of her blade, keeping her lips tightly sealed. She resumed putting on her armor, this time with an even greater sense of urgency. Ellana knelt down beside her to force eye contact. 

“Can you at least tell me if you’re a threat to us? Will people come looking for you here?” Ellana asked. 

“No,” Seneca replied. “You and your Inquisition are in no danger. You have my dearest word.”

Seneca finished putting on her armor and held her helmet at her side. 

“I can’t do anything to make you stay until at least morning?” Ellana gestured to the setting sun outside the small building. “Have dinner with us. Let me tell you about our cause- we could use a strong woman like you.” 

Seneca considered. Every time she closed her eyes, she felt the shroud of shame cover her. Delaying the inevitable would only bring pain to others, something she never wanted to do in the first place. But the elf who stood before her exhibited a comfort and kindness that was very persuasive. She would stay for dinner, take a final rest, and then set out in the morning. It was decided. 

“I do not understand why you are so insistent, but because it seems so important to you, I will stay for one evening more,” Seneca said finally. 

A polite smile grew on Ellana’s face. “Come on, let’s give you a better introduction.” 

Ellana led Seneca through the camp, pointing out landmarks such as the quartermaster, the alchemy bench, and the training grounds. Ellana swore she saw a glimmer of excitement in the dwarf’s eyes as she watched the soldiers conduct exercises. Commander Cullen, who was supervising the drills himself, approached Ellana. 

“Commander,” Ellana greeted. “This is Seneca. Seneca, this is Commander Cullen.”

“So this is the stranger you picked up from the mountains?” Cullen surveyed the newcomer with extreme caution. 

Seneca bowed deeply, and Cullen laughed light-heartedly. 

“There’s no need for that,” he said. 

“I’m showing her our little operation. I told her we always are looking for good soldiers,” Ellana explained. 

Cullen nodded, eyeing Seneca’s large weapon. “We are,” he said. “Care to join them in their exercises?” He gestured to the dummies and agility equipment that peppered the small field. 

Seneca looked at Ellana uneasily. Ellana nodded and nudged her. She followed Cullen to a nearby dummy and raised her weapon cautiously. 

“Strike!”

Inhaling calmly, Seneca raised her blade and executed a smooth combo, leaving a nasty gash in the dummy’s torso. 

As she finished, a small smile on Cullen’s face appeared. He picked up a nearby shield and offered it to Seneca. “How are you with a shield?” 

Seneca took the shield and got into a sparring position. Wordlessly, Cullen began to spar with her. She blocked nearly every attack, but when it came time to strike, she hesitated and only weakly retaliated. 

“You won’t hurt me. Don’t hold back,” Cullen instructed, noticing the caution in Seneca’s attacks. 

Seneca gulped in fear but complied. A few counterattacks later, Cullen surrendered. They sheathed their weapons and returned to Ellana, who had been admiring them from a distance. 

“You are impressive. I daresay you are better than some of the recruits here,” Cullen complimented. 

“They wouldn’t know how to block if it struck them in the face. And trust me, it does.” A nearby Cassandra butted her way into the conversation. 

“Seeker Cassandra. I had hoped you were watching,” Cullen noted. 

“I was. I knew that weapon you had was not merely decorative.” 

“Well, I was just showing her around before dinner. She’s leaving first light tomorrow,” Ellana explained.

“Shame,” Cassandra tutted but held her hand out in greeting. 

With another encouraging nudge from Ellana, Seneca shook Cassandra’s hand. 

The four retired to the main camp to eat. The Inquisition still very much in its infancy, the most food that could be afforded was small rations. Most of the soldiers gathered on the ground in front of the fire to eat, but Ellana and her friends sat on nearby empty mead barrels. Seneca noticed the dwarf and elf from before, who were watching her with strange looks on their faces. 

“Seneca,” Ellana began. “You remember Varric from earlier? This is Solas,” she gestured to the bald elf. “He is the one responsible for keeping you alive and well while you recovered.” 

Solas nodded. “I am afraid, however, that your facial wounds will leave behind noticeable scars. If you wish, I could perform further restorative magic to lessen their depth.”

“No more magic!” Seneca blurted, then corrected her tone. “I mean, thank you for the offer. But I do not trust your magic.” 

“Whether you trust it or not is a trivial discussion. You are alive because of it,” Solas said bitterly.

Ellana cleared her throat loudly. She offered her remaining food to her guest, who politely declined. After the group finished eating, Ellana offered to guide Seneca back to her room because more rest was still necessary. Before she did so, she led the dwarf beyond the stables such that the Breach could be seen more clearly. 

“I thought when I first set foot on the surface I was going to fall into the sky,” Seneca mused. “That makes me feel like it is going to suck me in.” 

“Scary, huh? That’s why we’re going to close it.” 

“Close it? How can you close the sky?”

Ellana raised her left hand and the Anchor pulsed in response. Seneca jumped backward and placed her hand on the hilt of her sword in reflex. 

“I don’t remember how or when I got it, but after the Conclave, I woke up and had this.” The Anchor pulsed again. “There seem to be mini versions of the Breach all over Thedas. I have been able to seal them. We seem to think that with enough forces and allies behind us, I can close the big one.” 

“That is evil…” Seneca said angrily. 

“More evil than a force that brings demons into our world and wreaks havoc on all life?” 

Seneca paused. “Maybe you have a point. Even so, how do you seal the little ones?”

“You can come with us tomorrow and see if you want.” 

“I am leaving tomorrow,” Seneca reminded calmly. 

Ellana signed and gently guided Seneca to look back at the recruits gathered around the fires, laughing and talking with each other. 

“What do you see when you look at them?”

“Truthfully?” Seneca asked, and when Ellana nodded, she continued, “I see a bunch of ill-equipped, mismatched soldiers pretending that starving and freezing do not bother them as much as it really does.” 

“Yikes. Don’t tell Cullen that. Anyways, what I see is a diverse group of people, coming together regardless of race to fight against an evil that affects us all.” 

Seneca went silent. She truly did not understand, but as she stood with her rescuer and looked up into the putrid vortex that plagued the sky, Seneca wondered if Ellana could heal more than just the sky.


End file.
